


warp

by fyouma



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Gen, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:35:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28590378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fyouma/pseuds/fyouma
Summary: “...and maybe he had been too arrogant, too hasty in his decision to attempt to kill Orochimaru, because no matter his current physical state, the Snake Sannin should easily be able to realize that Sasuke wasn’t going to stand still until his body was taken over."A world where Orochimaru was a little bit smarter, causing Sasuke to end up in the past and come into contact with a certain silver haired shinobi. But things aren't like the Konoha he knows, and his plan for revenge begins to spiral out of control.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 9
Kudos: 67





	warp

**Author's Note:**

> Please excuse the inconsistencies in writing style, updates, vocabulary, and practically everything :)  
> Feel free to stop reading, there’s no need to waste your time. I am sorry for the rushed start, beginnings are not my forte, along with writing in general.

“Now I have neither happiness nor unhappiness.  
Everything passes.” - Dazai Osamu

* * *

Sasuke finds himself on the verge of death once again.

It’s not a new concept for him, or any shinobi for that matter. Death is inevitable, no matter how hard a particular genius Sannin tries to avoid it. 

He was on the verge of death during the massacre, standing helpless in front of Itachi. He was temporarily dead during his first C-rank mission. (Thinking back, it was foolish of him to put Naruto’s life above his own when he knew Itachi was still roaming free, his clan left unavenged, because that boy was- is a monster, and Sasuke doesn’t have time to waste on friendship and bonds.) He experienced near death situations many times during the Chuunin Exams and the disaster that followed it, and while under Orochimaru’s tutelage. 

But Sasuke knows this isn’t like the other times, and maybe he had been too arrogant, too hasty in his decision to attempt to kill Orochimaru, because no matter his current physical state, the Snake Sannin should easily be able to realize that Sasuke wasn’t going to stand still until his body was taken over. 

And now, there’s no one to protect him from the painful grasp of death as the world twists in on itself, and pain envelopes him from the inside. There’s no ANBU that will bring him to the hospital, no Haku to show him mercy and kindness, no Bijuu to protect him. 

He just wants this torture to end, the feeling of his limbs being stripped off one by one as if he’s in Itachi’s genjutsu. _Stop,_ he wants to scream, to beg, but his mouth is sewn shut and all he can do is curl up on himself in this distorted space.

But Sasuke finds a small amount of satisfaction at the last bit, knowing that there wouldn’t be anyone to answer that cry of help. He’s cut all ties, and he can’t dwell on the what ifs and the what could have beens. 

In hindsight, he should have predicted Orochimaru would find a way to stop Sasuke from killing him while weakened. But he has never been the calm, cautious, intelligent shinobi like his brother, and he never will be until Itachi’s corpse lays in front of him and he's avenged his clan, for it is his rage that has allowed him to get so far. 

He doesn't despair, though. Despite the neverending painful sensation spreading throughout his entire body, Orochimaru would never be so foolish as to throw away the body he has built up and chased after so easily. 

Sasuke rakes through his brain with haste, trying to find any clue to what he’s been caught in. But with nothing coming to mind, and the pain increasing to an unbearable amount, he resorts to his trump card: the curse mark.

There’s a moment of satisfaction as the pain ceases while he transforms, only for it to crash back down twice as awful compared to before. His shoulder stings as his body spasms helplessly in the dimension, and Sasuke blacks out soon after.

* * *

He wakes up, sensing a distantly familiar chakra signature that he believed he would never feel again. He doesn’t make any movements to show he’s regained consciousness, though he knew it would be useless against a well trained jounin. But considering that the person before him would try his best to drag him back to Konoha for a certain blond ninja, he wouldn’t harm him purposefully. A small part of him knows that the man himself doesn’t care; the absence of the silver haired jounin when (the new) Team Seven came to retrieve him was enough to prove that he didn't see Sasuke as a teammate any longer. 

Fitting, as Sasuke would be considered someone “worse than scum” in their ideology, having abandoned everything but the thirst for revenge.

He’s sore all over, and the smell of blood is awfully strong. (He’s not sure whose it belongs to, and he doesn’t bother trying to figure it out) He winces in pain when he attempts to flex his arms, finding them tied up neatly with what appears to be wire strings. Sasuke, not having anything else to do, opens his eyes expecting to see Kakashi pinning him with a bored glare and a lecture to bring him back to the village. Instead, he's met with a slender figure clad in an ANBU uniform drenched in blood. 

It’s befuddling as Itachi’s image forms into mind, recalling the humiliation he suffered as Itachi stood before him the night of the massacre, wearing the same exact uniform. The only difference between them is the silver hair and the ANBU mask cautiously placed on his face. Sasuke decides to focus on the intricate lines on it to calm himself down, but the everlasting smell of blood is suddenly nauseating in the presence of the ANBU.

“Who are you and what happened to create this situation?” The voice speaks up, startling Sasuke from his trance. Sasuke raises an eyebrow at the man, silently assessing the wrongness of this situation. Kakashi shouldn’t be in ANBU from the start, and his voice sounds _off_. Perhaps there is another silver haired ninja in ANBU? In Danzo’s division ROOT, his mind supplies. But that wouldn’t explain the chakra signature that Sasuke can detect only from the amount of time he spent around the man.

“I have no reason to answer you,” he responds vaguely.

Sasuke can’t see the ANBU’s expression behind the mask, but he’s willing to bet that the man before him is well unamused.

“You were in the center of a sudden disturbance in the area. State your name and age, reason for the disturbance and possible injuries.”

“I am not willing to give information to a random ANBU that doesn’t bother naming himself before asking for a name.”

“Hound,” Not-Kakashi responds curtly and Sasuke openly rolls his eyes in distaste. 

“Sachi,” he says the first thing that comes to mind, thanking the undercover missions he went on while serving under Orochimaru. “Born near the edges of Fire Country around 16 years ago. After my guardians died, I came to seek proper training.”

“Sachi,” the other repeats thoughtfully, fixating on what Sasuke considers the least important of his statement. “That’s a good name, though I thought it was more frequent in females.”

“It means happiness, and can very well be a unisex name like all others,” he growls, impatience growing as the pain slowly makes itself known. “Can I leave now?”

Hound tilts his head condescendingly down at him, and waits a few moments before speaking. 

“You have the Sharingan,” he states blandly. Sasuke schools his face to keep still, but he knows Hound caught onto the moment of panic he allowed to show at the mention of the doujutsu. 

“How would you know?” He snarls, trying to gain time to think up a reason for his bloodline that would make sense. 

“I checked your physical well being the moment I saw you. Your eyes were activated when I opened them.”

Sasuke narrows his eyes. “So? Were you trying to steal them?” He challenges, though he knew they would already be ripped out by now if Hound had intended to do so. 

He expects a retort or a glare, but the other immediately flinches back as if he had committed the deed. From the unexpected response, Sasuke can’t help but wonder why the ANBU was being so raw. ROOT members are taught to be emotionless tools; Hound couldn’t possibly be one. 

“I apologize for the intrusion. I did not intend to steal your doujutsu or harm you whatsoever,” he apologizes and at the moment, Hound looks so broken and frail despite his face being well hidden behind the smirking wolf mask. “You are the true owner of your eyes. Are you a distant Uchiha?”

Sasuke inwardly smirks at the simplicity of this ANBU’s questions based on assumptions. Hound was just too easy.

“I carry Uchiha genes. I don’t know much about why I wasn’t born in Konoha, since it was a sensitive topic.” Hound nods in understanding at the lie, and Sasuke finds it weird that there’s no suspicion in the other’s stance. He wonders if Hound will drag him back to Konoha, but the fact that he doesn’t recognize Sasuke is a huge red flag. 

_Everyone_ knew about the massacre and the only victim that survived.

“Sachi-kun, would you let me assess your shoulder very quickly? It seems to be the worst part of your injuries.” 

He can only nod at the offer, dumbfounded as Hound leans toward him close enough to feel his breath. And perhaps he’s just a fool, a reckless childish teenager but he forcefully looks up as the other male begins to heal the abused shoulder.

The ANBU mask falls off, revealing a bewildered face and another dauntingly familiar mask under it.

“...Kakashi,” he breathes.

* * *

He doesn’t know how it became like this. 

He’s back in Konoha, standing obediently before the Third (who should be dead, it’s been three years) as an infinitely younger Kakashi still covered in blood requests that Sasuke be welcomed into the village.

He doesn’t know what exact year it is, but it's clearly before the massacre. This Konoha still has Uchihas roaming around, the same sight as a younger, oblivious Sasuke saw many years ago. 

He’s certain that Orochimaru’s trap wasn’t designed to send him back in time, and activating the curse mark was a factor that the Sannin couldn’t control. Sasuke’s pleasantly grateful it got rid of the mark as it would have raised questions he wouldn’t have bothered answering.

It makes sense for Kakashi to take in a stranger carrying one of Konoha’s prized doujutsus, though his former sensei seemed to be perplexed at the lack of animosity Sasuke had shown at his identity- at the Sharingan that any other Uchiha would accuse him of stealing. 

“If he is willing to go through the normal procedures of taking in an outsider and swears to protect the village, I will be able to enroll him as a Konoha shinobi,” the Third’s voice brings Sasuke back to his current predicament. “Sachi-kun, was it? Would you like to become a part of Konoha, and be willing to protect the village at all costs?”

He nods with certainty at the question. He’s not sure why they’re disregarding any possibility that he may be a spy, or anything alike. But he’s not going to let go of this chance that’s being handed to him on a silver platter. He’s willing to kill this Itachi, to avoid his family from being killed and being forced into living a life filled with anger and hatred. He will accomplish his goal, no matter how different this scenario was from the one Sasuke had always envisioned. He’s the only one _allowed_ to kill Itachi, and Sasuke won’t let a stupid mistake discourage him from achieving his goal. 

By killing Itachi, he will save the Uchihas from their fate.

“Then Hound here will see to it that you feel welcomed.” Sasuke steals a glance at the ANBU next to him, standing motionless despite being addressed. “We must have him assessed by T&I, and taken to meet his relatives to inform them of his existence.”

“Sandaime-sama, if I may,” Kakashi speaks up, stepping forward a respectful distance and Sasuke has to wonder what the hell had happened for this ANBU Captain to become the lazy jounin-sensei he came to know. The Hokage nods his permission, and Kakashi takes off his ANBU mask. “If Uchiha Sachi is cleared from suspicion and he is willing, I would like to recruit him into Team Ro. We are two short of a normal ANBU team, and the Commander has been postponing my request in favor of other teams.”

The Third raises an eyebrow at this, and Sasuke is careful not to show any surprise at the invitation. Wherever Kakashi got the idea that he was qualified for ANBU, (he was, perhaps even overqualified) Sasuke’s too concerned for his lack of sanity to question him.

“If you feel that is necessary,” the old man says, and that’s when Sasuke realizes that Kakashi doesn’t trust him; it’s a way to keep an eye on him. He’s not surprised, it makes sense for Kakashi to find a simple way to achieve what he wants. Perhaps it would have been better for Sasuke to act horrified at the thought of a non-Uchiha wielding their doujutsu, in order to avoid suspicion from the perceptive bastard. “I expect him to join the new batch of recruits in training, if possible. On another note, is there a reason for the Commander’s negligence?”

Sasuke can’t help but feel out of place as the village leader easily asks for his former-sensei’s opinion on an important figure in front of him. He’s never noticed how high of a rank Kakashi was entrusted with, too caught up in his quest for revenge. And he still doesn’t care, because it’s irrelevant and unhelpful and he only needs himself to kill Itachi. But maybe this Kakashi will be useful, and Sasuke can find a way to use his rank as an upper hand against Itachi if he needs one. (He ignores the fact that only scums would ever say such things.)

“I believe the Commander is trying to add more members into teams with higher rates of casualties, though it seems unreasonable when comparing the rank of missions that we are assigned to. There is also the fact that I am placed in charge of training ANBU recruits, during which I am unable to go on missions, and the Commander dislikes assigning missions to a team when the Captain is unavailable.” 

Sasuke raises a brow at the confession. He wonders how good Kakashi was at teaching if the Commander placed him in charge of training recruits. A bitterness rises upon him at the new information. Why didn’t Kakashi bother training them if he had previous experiences in teaching? Perhaps if he had, Sasuke wouldn’t have gone to Orochimaru, no matter how precious everything he learned was.

The Third folds his hands and leans forward. “Do you wish me to reassess the Commander’s position?” 

There’s an immediate response, and it startles Sasuke how quick he is to turn down a possible promotion.

“With all due respect, Lord Third, I am well satisfied with the current assignments. The Commander is handling his position well from my perspective, and there is no need to cause discord by the change of command,” Kakashi responds drily, masterfully avoiding further discussion.

The Hokage accepts his answer with a gruff laugh, and waves his hand in dismissal. Sasuke feels disoriented as Kakashi moves past him, slightly brushing against him as if urging him out of the room. With one last glance toward the Hokage, he follows the not-as-tall ninja, and waits for instructions. It’s best to gain trust before striking, after all.

As he walks down the stairs of the Hokage Tower, Sasuke spots a few bloodstains in Kakashi’s hair and instinctively reaches out to touch it. Unsurprisingly, partially gloved hands (that are unexpectedly clean) catch his wrist before his hand can come into contact, and one dark eye stares unyieldingly at him.

“Your eye is dead,” Sasuke spits out.

Kakashi tilts his head slightly before releasing his grip.

“So are yours.”

And the conversation ends. Sasuke can’t remember if his interactions with his former sensei were always this awkward, but the silence now is suffocating.

They reach the T&I building without any further incidents between them, though he can’t help but notice the murmurs and glares Kakashi received while walking to their destination. The ANBU had transformed his appearance to a non-bloodied self, masterfully hiding his scent despite not doing so in front of the village leader. Protocol, Sasuke guesses, but that only raised more questions of why everyone seemed wary of the ninja just by strolling through the village.

Because Sasuke knew what being stared at felt like, especially after the massacre, and he knew that none of the attention received was because of him. Rather, he, despite being an outsider in this Konoha, was ignored in favor of Kakashi.

“This is Konoha’s Intelligence Division,” Kakashi lazily addresses the building. “You’re only going to be put through normal procedures so you don’t have to worry about getting tortured unless you prove yourself worthy.”

“Fantastic,” Sasuke mutters as he walks into the intimidating building, hiding slightly behind Kakashi as the receptionist comes into view. _Anko_.

The kunoichi greets them cheerfully, unlike the others out on the streets. 

“Kakashi! Are you here to torture the spy we found a day ago? He’s a tough cookie, I wouldn’t be surprised if they brought you in again! Or wait, did you catch another one? You always seem to attract all the pretty ones!” 

Sasuke steals a glance towards Kakashi in surprise, wondering how often the man walked in here to assist with tortures and information gathering. From his stoic expression, the raven failed to gather any information. 

Probably uncomfortable with the only two people in the dimly lit room staring at him, Kakashi steps aside to turn the attention onto Sasuke, and he can’t help but scowl at the bastard.

“Anko, this is Sachi-kun. Ibiki-san and Inoichi-san should be informed of his arrival already, and that he is to be treated as a guest. If any unjustified harm comes to him, I will be in charge of overlooking this case as I was placed to supervise him,” Kakashi reports and it takes all the patience in Sasuke to refrain from punching the man for the degrading (but not necessarily false) comment at the end.

The kunoichi eyes Sasuke up and down, and he shifts uncomfortably under her scrutiny.

“That includes sexual harassment,” Kakashi adds before skillfully grabbing his wrist and leading him deeper into the building. Sasuke’s vividly aware he’s too close to his former-sensei for either of them to be comfortable. Still, he ignores it in favor of trying to memorize the layout of the complicated building, practically a maze without any indication on where they’re heading. He doesn’t remember ever coming in here, even after the massacre, and there’s so much about Konoha he never knew; now he’s getting a free pass just by being assigned to Kakashi.

“Don’t try to memorize these routes,” Kakashi warns nonchalantly, and Sasuke scowls once again. “They change it often to make it near impossible for prisoners to escape. There’s no use as long as you don’t plan on coming back here so soon.”

Sasuke cocks a suspicious glare at him. “Why aren’t you lost then?”

Kakashi shrugs. “I know a few things here and there.”

Sasuke snorts at the vague answer, but drops his attempt to memorize the pathways. Only Kakashi’s soft footsteps echoes throughout the dimly lit halls, while Sasuke keeps his own footsteps silent out of habit.

“What are you planning to do?” Kakashi suddenly asks, and Sasuke freezes. The former seems to notice the sudden stop in movement, and dutifully comes to a halt in the middle of the hallway. 

“What do you mean?” He forces himself to bite out, because he's not sure either. Why agree to serve Konoha when he only needs to infiltrate his old house and get rid of Itachi before he snaps and kills everyone? It simply serves as another decision spurred on by impulses which he finds are hard to stop.

The Hatake lightly tugs on Sasuke’s wrist (it’s then that he realizes the former never let go) and pulls him closer to come face to face with the jounin’s covered neck. It’s an intimidation technique, Kakashi probably having picked up on his distaste for physical contact, and a height difference that greatens the effect. 

“Are you here to attain information? Get stronger? Find someone specific?” It’s asked in a casual manner, as if he has a choice in whether to answer or not. He doesn’t, and this is just a reminder of the difference in rank between them, but Sasuke will act the fool if only to stop the interrogation before the official one, because even if it’s Kakashi, it’s a Kakashi he doesn’t know; a complete wildcard at this point.

Sasuke twists his hand out of the grip, not minding the cold air that greets his bare arm when Kakashi reluctantly lets him go. “Just take me to the interrogation squad and I’ll answer there. I bet you would be given the information after it, so there’s really no use trying to squeeze information out of me now,” he points out, and steps away from the older man.

Kakashi doesn’t move from his spot, and simply nods before resuming the long walk to their destination. This time, Kakashi’s footsteps are deafeningly silent, and carries himself with an unfamiliar gracefulness that Sasuke has to rush to keep up with. 

_Is he angry?_ For what, Sasuke mentally berates himself. It’s not any of his concern what Kakashi thinks of him, and it doesn’t change his end goal. Without Kakashi’s small talk, he would get out of this building faster, and thus get his revenge against Itachi. 

But still, the sudden shift in mood unnerves Sasuke more than he would like to admit. The cold attitude he shows now is starkly different than his usual aloofness, and he almost misses the comfortable silence they kept on their walk to Konoha. But the less Kakashi and Konoha interferes with his plans, the easier it would be to finish his objective. 

Sasuke suddenly collides with the lean figure of the ANBU, bringing him out of his trance as Kakashi glances back at him with an unamused expression.

“We’re here,” Kakashi states, as Sasuke nurses his nose for show with a glare.

“The statement would have been helpful a few seconds earlier,” he drily points out as the jounin opens the door into the interrogation room. The other doesn’t react to his retort, and quickly enters into the room after Sasuke.

“Ah, Kakashi,” Ibiki smiles gruffly, motioning for the two of them to sit down on the chair in front of him. “I’d like you to be here since Inoichi’s currently dealing with clan matters. Since this is a special circumstance, it will be unnecessary to go through the normal procedures and formality.”

Sasuke nods, unsure about how to respond.

“I’ll just need your complete honesty, some background information, and Kakashi will oversee your physical training,” he adds, and opens a folder.

“Name?”

“Uchiha Sachi.”

“Date of birth?”

“June 23rd.”

“Age?”

“16.”

“Background?”

“Grew up at the border of Fire Country, and hid under a false name but I am a true Uchiha. I grew up home schooled, and lived an average life until my guardians died. I was on my way to Konoha to meet my relatives, but I got caught in a trap and was found by Kakashi. He took me in after confirming I wield the Sharingan, and welcomed me into the village under his supervision.”

Ibiki quirks an eyebrow at this, directed at Kakashi rather than Sasuke, though the ANBU doesn’t react.

“Is there a reason for your guardian’s deaths? A reason to suddenly seek out your relatives?”

“My parents were killed,” Sasuke spits out in uncontrolled rage. “I came to gain proper knowledge about my doujutsu in order to kill the man who took everything from me.”

The two stay stoic as expected, without missing a beat. “And do you know this murderer? Were you there at the time of their deaths? Why were you spared from his wrath? Is there a clear motivation?” 

Ibiki keeps pushing, making bile rise up in Sasuke’s throat. There was no way he could get away from these observant jounin with pure lies, but he wasn’t willing to voice out the humiliation he suffered of being deemed unworthy to even kill by that traitor. He knows their eyes are on him, carefully assessing each movement he makes, making it all the more impossible to curl up in a ball to calm himself down.

Casual his ass, they were no doubt still suspicious of him because even if he’s an Uchiha, he’s still considered an outsider and a potential threat to Konoha.

“You don't have to answer if you're not comfortable with it. Just give us any other details you feel is important. The Uchihas are a part of Konoha and deserve to be welcomed, so if you wish this to be over, I'll introduce you to your relatives and we can go from there,” Kakashi surprisingly speaks up, his voice softer than Sasuke’s used to.

He doesn’t trust himself to respond, and only manages a nod of appreciation toward the Hatake as he’s led out of the near suffocating room once more. He can feel the dissatisfied gaze Ibiki pins him with, but Kakashi’s comforting grip around his shoulders as he leads them out of the building is reassuring. 

It’s calming, really, and Sasuke’s grateful that the older man doesn’t take his arms off as he maneuvers through the dimly lit hallways. He wishes he could utter a word to express his gratefulness, but unable to trust his voice, he keeps his mouth shut. The last thing he needs is embarrassing himself in front of Kakashi, no matter how different this one is.

And Kakashi seems fine with his silence. He doesn’t look at him anxiously, and Sasuke’s surprised to realize that he appreciates the privacy the jounin allows him. When he had his… moments, people usually tried to calm him down by telling him that everything was going to be okay. An outright lie, and their demeaning tone always resulted in Sasuke having to be restrained from attacking others. Of course, they knew that Sasuke was incapable of snapping and killing everyone, since he was fixated on killing Itachi. These occurrences decreased as he grew up, and now, precisely because of the major misstep, he's only a few steps away from killing the person who he had centered his life around. 

He takes a moment to think how Kakashi would react, after welcoming in a stranger only for him to kill the main branch's eldest son. Maybe he would try to kill Sasuke. Maybe he won't care at all. It's practically impossible to tell when it's Kakashi. 

A blinding light meets their exit from the building, and Sasuke realizes that they took a route to the back exit, seeing the sudden change in the environment. Kakashi slowly lifts his arms off of his shoulders, and Sasuke suppresses a shiver at the sudden loss of warmth, hoping Kakashi won't notice. If he did, he doesn't show it. 

“Would you mind if we stopped at my place to clean up before heading to the Uchiha District?” Kakashi suddenly voices, ending the awkward silence that has fallen upon them. “You can use the shower too, if you need,” he adds somewhat hurriedly, as if Sasuke was in a position to deny the offer. 

“Thanks,” he replies, internally wincing at how dry it sounded. Kakashi nods once before body flickering them both to his room. It's as bare as the last time he saw it, but not as old and deteriorated. He stands awkwardly as Kakashi easily walks over to his bed and starts stripping off his outer layers. 

Noticing the lack of movement, Kakashi turns to him questioningly. 

“I can wash your clothes and give it back to you later, and you can just borrow whatever I have. I'll fix us something while you clean off.”

Sasuke frowns but agrees to the offer, and heads over to the bathroom. 

He feels refreshed when the hot water collides with his body, thoroughly soaking him to the bone. It's a reminder of how much time has passed since his initial interaction with this younger Kakashi, and the events that led him to showering in his room.

When he finishes washing off, he first notices the small pile of neatly folded clothes next to where he had stripped his dirty clothing, and Sasuke rolls his eyes at the obvious show of power. He has no reason to attack Kakashi, and the only reason why he should is for welcoming a stranger he doesn't plan on fucking into his house. 

His brain suddenly stops at the thought, and wonders if Kakashi had a sex life despite his awful personality. Reading porn in public should have indicated he was a pervert, but Sasuke has never seen Kakashi make a move on a woman, even when an escort they had been assigned to was subtly trying to seduce him. (He vividly remembers making jokes with Naruto and Sakura about the two, and getting chided by Kakashi later on.) 

Maybe he's gay, but Sasuke sure as hell isn't going to have a one night stand with his former sensei. 

Sasuke shrugs on the clean clothes, satisfied at the near perfect fit. It's still baffling to be only a few centimeters shorter than Kakashi, since he had previously towered over Sasuke as if he were an ant. 

It makes it easier to talk to him, and it's surprisingly pleasant to be treated as a guest rather than an oblivious genin. Perhaps he would have been a better teacher if he actually took the three of them seriously. Maybe if Kakashi had taught the three of them as he did in the the interval during the Chuunin Exams, they would have been stronger faster. 

Maybe Sasuke wouldn’t have left the village then. 

But that’s neither here nor there, and what’s done is done. He can’t waste time dwelling on what could have beens when he has a chance to save his family this time.

A delicious smell greets him when he opens the door out of the bathroom, and he stumbles in surprise at the oddly comfortable atmosphere in the kitchen. Kakashi turns to face him immediately, and motions toward the table.

“I made something. If you don’t want it, feel free to grab something else.”

Sasuke nods appreciatively, feeling more than starved at the sight of the well cooked dinner. He sits down in one of the seats, and Kakashi takes the one opposite of him. 

“I-” Sasuke cuts off, reminding himself that he can't talk as if he knew Kakashi at all. “I didn't think you would be a good cook,” he settles on. 

The jounin raises an eyebrow at the borderline rude statement, though Sasuke would much rather prefer ‘back-handed compliment’. 

“I'm sorry to disappoint,” Kakashi says before using his infuriating speed eating technique. Sasuke openly gawks at the man, still bemused on how the bastard is so good at hiding his face. 

Still, an uncharacteristic pull of moral tugs on his collar. “I'll turn around if you don't feel comfortable,” he offers, and turns his seat so he can face the same direction as Kakashi, only away from the table. 

There's a pause, before Kakashi replies, “there's no need. You're the guest, if you feel uncomfortable with me being so secretive, I can stop.” Sasuke’s eyes widen in alarm, and glances towards the man. 

Nothing would have prepared him for what was to come. 

Kakashi was pulling down his mask, revealing his pale face to what should be a stranger. It’s just a face, but Sasuke can’t help but stare dumbly at the handsome face he’d been curious about since the very first day. There’s nothing really exceptional about it, apart from a mole that decorates the corner of his mouth. But seeing his face without any part of it being concealed, it was terrifyingly astounding.

“Why are you fine with revealing your face to a complete stranger when you keep it hidden for most people?” He asks, not able to stop himself.

The jounin gives him a blank look, looking so out of place with the Kakashi Sasuke knew. “You’re not a stranger, you’re a guest. And you don’t seem to have any interest in what I look like, so there’s no point hiding from you.”

“So you keep your face hidden if they’re curious? What bad taste.” He shakes his head, utterly baffled at seeing Kakashi’s raw smile.

“That may be, but you would never know how fun it is until you experience it,” he responds with a small chuckle. Sasuke thinks back to his wild goose chase with his team, and a nostalgic smile makes way to his face.

They finish their dinner in silence, and Sasuke waits patiently for Kakashi to clean himself off as they had promised before they went to the Uchiha Compound. He stares blankly at the untouched porn book, standing out intensely amidst the dull colors of the room, something the man would later keep in his possession as if his life depended on it. The habit must have started when he retired ANBU, the light dust on the spine of it an obvious sign of the lack of usage. 

He tentatively grabs it, curiosity getting the better of him as he opens the forbidden book. He skims over the first few chapters, only stopping when a small sexual encounter occurred between the protagonist and heroine. It’s not like he’s a stranger to sex (not that he’s had actual experience), but he still can’t help but blush at the vivid descriptions Jiraiya packs the book with. Still, the plot surprisingly draws him in and he finds himself genuinely reading the ‘God-awful book’ he had previously referred to as.

He doesn’t notice Kakashi come out of the bathroom, and was caught off guard when pale hands covered his eyes.

“It’s rude to interrupt someone’s reading time,” Sasuke repeats the line Kakashi had used during his genin days, mostly at Naruto’s demand for attention. 

“It’s wrong for a minor to read that book,” Kakashi slowly coerces the book shut. “Wait until you’re 18 to continue it.”

He scoffs at the silver haired man, pinning him with a glare. “Age is meaningless. The line between pain and pleasure is thin; we should be able to indulge in pleasurable activities if we have to experience pain.” 

Kakashi doesn't respond, and Sasuke relishes in the feeling of superiority at the moment. It’s short lived, because the Hatake moves on as if nothing happened

“We’ll be heading to the Uchiha district soon,” he says, pulling his mask back up and tying his hitai-ate over his Sharingan like always. He looks over to him for affirmation, and Sasuke gives a curt nod before putting the book back on the shelf.


End file.
